[GB Window Cleaning]

So now im single and sit here on my own most evenings ( i know pull out the violins  ) I havent got anyone to vent too. So ive gotta tell you all this classic that happened just now.
Ok, so i get a text from a custy thats due tomorrow "Can you leave it this time as were not about for a few weeks"

Now this custy is a pain in the arse theyve been a custard for about 10 months at a guess. They are on an 8 weekly cycle. There garden is full of dog poop and they are late payers.

So i phoned them back ands left a voicemail saying "sorry i cannot except cancellations, Without sounding blunt if i dont clean your property tomorrow ill have to cancel the service from here on!"

Imnot in the mood for giving "strikes" to morons tonight! My normal rule of thumb is to give em 2 strikes and on the 3rd there dumped"

So i just got a phone call from a slightly high rate husband Who said something along the lines of "There is another window cleaner in the area who is a lot cheaper" so i said okay sir i'll leave you with it! Bye  

[Ian101]

just my way but would not of even bothered making phonecall and wasting 20p and 2 minutes of my time ... zero tolerence ....... been like this for 12 months now and no stress from tossers at all.

[Ian101]

however love the reply to the husband 

[H20cleaning]

I HATE customers like this because I bet there the ones that go round telling their friends "my window cleaner hasn't been for about 4 months." When te reality is they couldn't be arsed to pay you.
They couldn't be arsed cleaning up after their dog.

So when there friends come round and see dirty windows they blame us!! Not the above points

[deeege]

Just stop cleaning them. No need for the arsey phonecall, it will only lead to more stress. In fact you should have just stopped cleaning as soon as you seen the dog muck in the garden.

[GB Window Cleaning]

just my way but would not of even bothered making phonecall and wasting 20p and 2 minutes of my time ... zero tolerence ....... been like this for 12 months now and no stress from tossers at all.

Yeah, I'm feeling a bit angry tonight so i said more than i usually would. But i like your zero tolerance attitude! Thanks ian. It makjes me feel like im not alone!

George

[GB Window Cleaning]

I HATE customers like this because I bet there the ones that go round telling their friends "my window cleaner hasn't been for about 4 months." When te reality is they couldn't be arsed to pay you.
They couldn't be arsed cleaning up after their dog.

So when there friends come round and see dirty windows they blame us!! Not the above points

Yeah, these are the custards that when your canvassing say " oh yeah i need a window cleaner, as my old one stopped coming" 

[GB Window Cleaning]

Just stop cleaning them. No need for the arsey phonecall, it will only lead to more stress. In fact you should have just stopped cleaning as soon as you seen the dog muck in the garden.

It wasn't really an arsey phone call. Its my policy to let the custy know my rules when they start playing up! Granted, my tone of voice could have been friendlier but they've messed me around in the short time ive taken them on as a custy! Plus i didnt mention the fact that they asked me if not only could i text then the evening before (which i do anyway) But they asked me to text them TWo days before there due for there clean!!!

PFFFFFHHHHH... Im stared to get mad again thikning about it 

[PoleKing]

Same here today.
I sent the final demand letter. For a tenner!
Got a text back, after online payment, saying please remove me from your list.
I replied, soon as I had to chase you you were dumped.
Irritated I spent out on the stamp for the envelope.
Chuckling to myself thinking they thought I'd go back.

[Ian101]

the world is full of great customers and great window cleaners the trick is bringing the 2 together no point in being a great window cleaner and having tossers for customers and likewise its a shame when great customers have a tosser for a window cleaner.

prime example picked up a new customer today as she sacked her previous window cleaner when he thought no one was home as her car was in garage getting serviced and she was in bedroom with window open and heard him say to his helper along lines of "just do the lounge window and stick bill through letter box no one is in" 

[ben M]

the world is full of great customers and great window cleaners the trick is bringing the 2 together no point in being a great window cleaner and having tossers for customers and likewise its a shame when great customers have a tosser for a window cleaner.

prime example picked up a new customer today as she sacked her previous window cleaner when he thought no one was home as her car was in garage getting serviced and she was in bedroom with window open and heard him say to his helper along lines of "just do the lounge window and stick bill through letter box no one is in" 

[robertphil]

it helps to be a bit bitter n twisted   i have found . practice saying (with a snarl )"do em yourself! u bloomin dildo "  as a standard reply

[Spruce]

So now im single and sit here on my own most evenings ( i know pull out the violins  ) I havent got anyone to vent too. So ive gotta tell you all this classic that happened just now.
Ok, so i get a text from a custy thats due tomorrow "Can you leave it this time as were not about for a few weeks"

Now this custy is a pain in the arse theyve been a custard for about 10 months at a guess. They are on an 8 weekly cycle. There garden is full of dog poop and they are late payers.

So i phoned them back ands left a voicemail saying "sorry i cannot except cancellations, Without sounding blunt if i dont clean your property tomorrow ill have to cancel the service from here on!"

Imnot in the mood for giving "strikes" to morons tonight! My normal rule of thumb is to give em 2 strikes and on the 3rd there dumped"

So i just got a phone call from a slightly high rate husband Who said something along the lines of "There is another window cleaner in the area who is a lot cheaper" so i said okay sir i'll leave you with it! Bye  

Hi GB.  The topic header is 'venting my stress.'

You appear to be very stressed out about this one customer. My question to you is; why let it get to you?

Don't take it personally. You need to seperate your working 'life' from your 'private' life. In other words, don't take your work home - an expression we were very familar with in industry.

If you were your ex wife/GF would you like it if he vented his day's stress on you every night when he got home? Is this particular incident really that much of a problem? Does it fit into the 'train smash' catagory? If they don't pay you, how much has it cost you? £8.00? £10.00?

We wouldn't have let this go as far as you have TBH. We would have stopped for the dog's mess in the back garden the first time we encountered it. As we usually start at the back, we wouldn't have cleaned the house.
We would have communicated verbally in a quite manner why their mess is the reason for us discontinuing. We won't give them the pleasure of arguing or firing a smart comment back. We leave with dignity.

Remember the three C's. Canvass - clean - cull. Even when you have a full round of good customers, some of those good customers turn bad for whatever reason. You still have to cull them and look for replacements.

If you are looking for a new mate, practise not letting these trivial things become the focus of your life now.

I wish you the best.

Spruce

[Spruce]

Just stop cleaning them. No need for the arsey phonecall, it will only lead to more stress. In fact you should have just stopped cleaning as soon as you seen the dog muck in the garden.

Spot on.

I know GB is 'new' at window cleaning so is still building his round. I also appreciate that it gets harder to dump a customer as it feels you are going backwards when you are in this position. I have also been there, but with hindsight, can see it differently now.

[Spruce]

the world is full of great customers and great window cleaners the trick is bringing the 2 together no point in being a great window cleaner and having tossers for customers and likewise its a shame when great customers have a tosser for a window cleaner.

What a great comment! I will remember this. 

[Ian101]

the world is full of great customers and great window cleaners the trick is bringing the 2 together no point in being a great window cleaner and having tossers for customers and likewise its a shame when great customers have a tosser for a window cleaner.

What a great comment! I will remember this. 

Thanks Bruce
I think Im maturing as great comments are normally not my thing  ...... normally a tell em to do one type of character 

[richard jagger]

How to dump a customer with Class. Send a bill and don`t clean until they wise up. See how long you can get away with it.

[8weekly]

the world is full of great customers and great window cleaners the trick is bringing the 2 together no point in being a great window cleaner and having tossers for customers and likewise its a shame when great customers have a tosser for a window cleaner.

prime example picked up a new customer today as she sacked her previous window cleaner when he thought no one was home as her car was in garage getting serviced and she was in bedroom with window open and heard him say to his helper along lines of "just do the lounge window and stick bill through letter box no one is in" 

Allegedly. 

[wolfee101]

Trouble with venting is

 Theres a large build up of pressure waiting for an excuse to blow (so to speak)

In this case you might be anxious when you called/texted, expecting a cancellation.

Better to be calm and happy about replies beforehand.

how you do that ? i have not a clue!

I would have missed them out and called in 2 months, if i needed/wanted the cash.
 

[Spruce]

the world is full of great customers and great window cleaners the trick is bringing the 2 together no point in being a great window cleaner and having tossers for customers and likewise its a shame when great customers have a tosser for a window cleaner.

prime example picked up a new customer today as she sacked her previous window cleaner when he thought no one was home as her car was in garage getting serviced and she was in bedroom with window open and heard him say to his helper along lines of "just do the lounge window and stick bill through letter box no one is in" 

Allegedly. 

Unfortunately this customer could very quickly end up on the cull list. Only time will tell. I tend to give my customers the benefit of the doubt initially as we all do. Sooner or later they reveal their true colours. Potential customers who tell porkies about their previous window cleaner will do the same to their new one.

A business relationship is a two way street; it must be win win on both sides. Once that changes then its time to discontinue that relationship. Of course the decision as to when that situation is no longer a win win situation will be different from one cleaner to the next.

Whilst this maybe a little hyperbole by the potential customer, I do know a trad cleaner who once worked in our neck of the woods who wouldn't clean the bathroom window if he didn't need to, especially if it was one that only had an upper opener window.

[rosskesava]

Cull list? Benefit of the doubt? True colours? Telling porkies? Business relationship?

Blimey. Isn't that making something simple rather complex?

I just clean peoples windows and they pay me. If I don't want to carry on cleaning their windows for any reason I choose, then I stop.

[GB Window Cleaning]

So now im single and sit here on my own most evenings ( i know pull out the violins  ) I havent got anyone to vent too. So ive gotta tell you all this classic that happened just now.
Ok, so i get a text from a custy thats due tomorrow "Can you leave it this time as were not about for a few weeks"

Now this custy is a pain in the arse theyve been a custard for about 10 months at a guess. They are on an 8 weekly cycle. There garden is full of dog poop and they are late payers.

So i phoned them back ands left a voicemail saying "sorry i cannot except cancellations, Without sounding blunt if i dont clean your property tomorrow ill have to cancel the service from here on!"

Imnot in the mood for giving "strikes" to morons tonight! My normal rule of thumb is to give em 2 strikes and on the 3rd there dumped"

So i just got a phone call from a slightly high rate husband Who said something along the lines of "There is another window cleaner in the area who is a lot cheaper" so i said okay sir i'll leave you with it! Bye  

Hi GB.  The topic header is 'venting my stress.'

You appear to be very stressed out about this one customer. My question to you is; why let it get to you?

Don't take it personally. You need to seperate your working 'life' from your 'private' life. In other words, don't take your work home - an expression we were very familar with in industry.

If you were your ex wife/GF would you like it if he vented his day's stress on you every night when he got home? Is this particular incident really that much of a problem? Does it fit into the 'train smash' catagory? If they don't pay you, how much has it cost you? £8.00? £10.00?

We wouldn't have let this go as far as you have TBH. We would have stopped for the dog's mess in the back garden the first time we encountered it. As we usually start at the back, we wouldn't have cleaned the house.
We would have communicated verbally in a quite manner why their mess is the reason for us discontinuing. We won't give them the pleasure of arguing or firing a smart comment back. We leave with dignity.

Remember the three C's. Canvass - clean - cull. Even when you have a full round of good customers, some of those good customers turn bad for whatever reason. You still have to cull them and look for replacements.

If you are looking for a new mate, practise not letting these trivial things become the focus of your life now.

I wish you the best.

Spruce

Thanks for that spruce. I really really appreciate your words, ive read what you said twice today, once this morning before work and again just now. Your words have been ringing in my head all day (in a good way) Im extremely grateful sir. Like ive said before, if it wasnt for poeple like you and this forum id' have almoth certainly jacked in by now! I owe you a drink mate if i ever have the pleasure of meeting in real like!

Thanks again

George

[GB Window Cleaning]

the world is full of great customers and great window cleaners the trick is bringing the 2 together no point in being a great window cleaner and having tossers for customers and likewise its a shame when great customers have a tosser for a window cleaner.

prime example picked up a new customer today as she sacked her previous window cleaner when he thought no one was home as her car was in garage getting serviced and she was in bedroom with window open and heard him say to his helper along lines of "just do the lounge window and stick bill through letter box no one is in" 

Youre spot on there Ian. i appreciate your words sir. like ive just said its s=down to people like you on this forum that keep me going. Especially since ive become single, its sometimes hard to find a reason to keep going at it!

I owe you one mate!

George

[GB Window Cleaning]

How to dump a customer with Class. Send a bill and don`t clean until they wise up. See how long you can get away with it.

 

[Spruce]

So now im single and sit here on my own most evenings ( i know pull out the violins  ) I havent got anyone to vent too. So ive gotta tell you all this classic that happened just now.
Ok, so i get a text from a custy thats due tomorrow "Can you leave it this time as were not about for a few weeks"

Now this custy is a pain in the arse theyve been a custard for about 10 months at a guess. They are on an 8 weekly cycle. There garden is full of dog poop and they are late payers.

So i phoned them back ands left a voicemail saying "sorry i cannot except cancellations, Without sounding blunt if i dont clean your property tomorrow ill have to cancel the service from here on!"

Imnot in the mood for giving "strikes" to morons tonight! My normal rule of thumb is to give em 2 strikes and on the 3rd there dumped"

So i just got a phone call from a slightly high rate husband Who said something along the lines of "There is another window cleaner in the area who is a lot cheaper" so i said okay sir i'll leave you with it! Bye  

Hi GB.  The topic header is 'venting my stress.'

You appear to be very stressed out about this one customer. My question to you is; why let it get to you?

Don't take it personally. You need to seperate your working 'life' from your 'private' life. In other words, don't take your work home - an expression we were very familar with in industry.

If you were your ex wife/GF would you like it if he vented his day's stress on you every night when he got home? Is this particular incident really that much of a problem? Does it fit into the 'train smash' catagory? If they don't pay you, how much has it cost you? £8.00? £10.00?

We wouldn't have let this go as far as you have TBH. We would have stopped for the dog's mess in the back garden the first time we encountered it. As we usually start at the back, we wouldn't have cleaned the house.
We would have communicated verbally in a quite manner why their mess is the reason for us discontinuing. We won't give them the pleasure of arguing or firing a smart comment back. We leave with dignity.

Remember the three C's. Canvass - clean - cull. Even when you have a full round of good customers, some of those good customers turn bad for whatever reason. You still have to cull them and look for replacements.

If you are looking for a new mate, practise not letting these trivial things become the focus of your life now.

I wish you the best.

Spruce

Thanks for that spruce. I really really appreciate your words, ive read what you said twice today, once this morning before work and again just now. Your words have been ringing in my head all day (in a good way) Im extremely grateful sir. Like ive said before, if it wasnt for poeple like you and this forum id' have almoth certainly jacked in by now! I owe you a drink mate if i ever have the pleasure of meeting in real like!

Thanks again

George

Hi George.

I'm honestly pleased that you have taken this in the spirit that it was given. You could have easily seen it another way and taken umbrage.

Unfortunately, in another life, I was also stressed up and the result is a hiatus hernia and associated ulcer which will be with me until I die. I sometimes experience deep chest pains that spread across the front of my chest and affect my shoulder blades - I can hardly breath sometimes. In all due honesty I wouldn’t know if I had had a heart attack because I would immediately put the pain down to this. Associated with a hiatus hernia is heartburn and acid reflux where stomach acid pushes back into my oesophagus and burns it as the valve blocking it no longer works effectively. I’ve had this near on 30 years.


Trust me, it isn’t worth letting customers upset you and wind you up. It’s your health and everything else that it’s associated with it that they are messing with.

Bruce

[GB Window Cleaning]

Hi George.

I'm honestly pleased that you have taken this in the spirit that it was given. You could have easily seen it another way and taken umbrage.

Unfortunately, in another life, I was also stressed up and the result is a hiatus hernia and associated ulcer which will be with me until I die. I sometimes experience deep chest pains that spread across the front of my chest and affect my shoulder blades - I can hardly breath sometimes. In all due honesty I wouldn’t know if I had had a heart attack because I would immediately put the pain down to this. Associated with a hiatus hernia is heartburn and acid reflux where stomach acid pushes back into my oesophagus and burns it as the valve blocking it no longer works effectively. I’ve had this near on 30 years.


Trust me, it isn’t worth letting customers upset you and wind you up. It’s your health and everything else that it’s associated with it that they are messing with.

Bruce

Hi bruce, Im sorry to hear about your health problems mate! and yes, i don't take offence easily, And i always try and lok at both sides of the aurgument.

However im a bit of a worrier and always have been as you may or may not know from my posts on here   I'm not too bad though dont get me wrong!  

And your right about the custards. Infact ive had another one cancel this evening, which came as no suprise cos i suspected they would cancel soon (just had that feeling)
But it didnt bother me today. partly because of your response and others replys on here. And partly because i got my lazy arse out canvassing this evening and replaced them both  

thanks again

George

[Spruce]

Well done.

[dazmond]

if a 2 monthly customer gives me a "not this time" without a good reason(eg building work etc)then i dump them and dont go back.it happens very rarely on my round though.

GB no need to get stressed over  customers!the thing is its never just that when people over react to trivial situations its always a case of "the straw that broke the camels back" scenario.its other things that are going on in your life whether its financial problems/relationship breakdown etc,etc.

in the past in my younger years i had many girlfriends,heartaches,drink and drug problems,financial problems.the list is endless!! ;Dand i often reacted badly to some customers messing me about including me telling them to F*** OFF!

luckily for me ive managed to build a much better round and living for myself over the last 10 years and stopped drinking.i have a gorgeous girlfriend and life couldnt be better!

best wishes mate


dazmond

[Cliff perkins]

Ah daz what stops you telling them to f off now then lol
 I think its the older much wiser man in you mate 

Regards

[GB Window Cleaning]

if a 2 monthly customer gives me a "not this time" without a good reason(eg building work etc)then i dump them and dont go back.it happens very rarely on my round though.

GB no need to get stressed over  customers!the thing is its never just that when people over react to trivial situations its always a case of "the straw that broke the camels back" scenario.its other things that are going on in your life whether its financial problems/relationship breakdown etc,etc.

in the past in my younger years i had many girlfriends,heartaches,drink and drug problems,financial problems.the list is endless!! ;Dand i often reacted badly to some customers messing me about including me telling them to F*** OFF!

luckily for me ive managed to build a much better round and living for myself over the last 10 years and stopped drinking.i have a gorgeous girlfriend and life couldnt be better!

best wishes mate


dazmond

Thanks daz mate, Again i really appreciate your advice! I think the reason im over reactiing is because simply i dont have enough work, so when a custy cancels it hits hard.

Night folks

[rosskesava]

Thanks daz mate, Again i really appreciate your advice! I think the reason im over reactiing is because simply i dont have enough work, so when a custy cancels it hits hard.

Night folks

I think at some point we've all been in that situation. I have for sure.

If you don't have enough work then that means you have spare time. Maybe try and use that to get more work even if that is a small effort like doing 100 leaflets a day or leafleting 10 customers either side of a job you do already.

Doing anything to get more customers helps with the worry about a lost customer.

[dazmond]

yeah GB we ve all been there mate!now you ve split up from the girlfriend i would concentrate your time and energy in getting more work.on days when you have no work go leafleting and canvassing and keep your eye out for dirty conservatory roofs and fascias when out and about cleaning.

have a good look at your round and see how you can fatten it up in areas where you already have some work.

then when you have more work and more money you can buy yourself a car for taking women out/going out with the lads and just use your van for work!


best wishes


dazmond

[GB Window Cleaning]

Thanks daz mate, Again i really appreciate your advice! I think the reason im over reactiing is because simply i dont have enough work, so when a custy cancels it hits hard.

Night folks

I think at some point we've all been in that situation. I have for sure.

If you don't have enough work then that means you have spare time. Maybe try and use that to get more work even if that is a small effort like doing 100 leaflets a day or leafleting 10 customers either side of a job you do already.

Doing anything to get more customers helps with the worry about a lost customer.

THanks mate, great advice. I get a bit lazy with the canvassing and need to start getting out more. These couple of custy that have just cancelled will hive me the motivation though im sure!

George

[GB Window Cleaning]

yeah GB we ve all been there mate!now you ve split up from the girlfriend i would concentrate your time and energy in getting more work.on days when you have no work go leafleting and canvassing and keep your eye out for dirty conservatory roofs and fascias when out and about cleaning.

have a good look at your round and see how you can fatten it up in areas where you already have some work.

then when you have more work and more money you can buy yourself a car for taking women out/going out with the lads and just use your van for work!


best wishes


dazmond

Again, Thanks for the good advice daz! i especially like the part about buying a nice car for taking woman out! 

have a good day mate

George